Former assistant theater director charged with Child Seduction involving 17-year-old student

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. - 26-year-old Kyle D. Snyder, the former Assistant Theater Director at Bethany Christian Schools, has been arrested and charged with Child Seduction, involving a 17-year-old student.

The parents of the 17-year-old girl reported to the Goshen Police Department an incident of child seduction involving Snyder.

The parents said their daughter met Snyder in one of her theater classes and that they recently became aware of the inappropriate contact. Snyder was also the victim's teacher.

In the probable cause affidavit, the parents reportedly knew Snyder was tutoring their daughter. 

The parents also said there might've been red flags but believed Snyder was being a good teacher and helping their daughter.

They suspected the pair's relationship became physical in the fall of 2023 when they found text messages on their daughter's phone.

The parents said they believe the sexual contact happened at Snyder's house in Goshen where he lives with his parents.

The family initially reported the incident to the Syracuse Police Department in Kosciusko County.

The affidavit states the victim said the sexual encounters happened at Snyder's home, while his parents were there in another room.

Goshen Police found approximately 34,000 text messages were found between Snyder, who was 25, and the victim, who was 16 at the time. Sexually explicit messages between the two were observed by police.

A forensic interview was done with the victim where she stated she and Snyder discussed their age difference and kept it secret.

Police interviewed the Head of Bethany Christian Schools, where it was discovered that Snyder was fired for inappropriate comments he made to other students during a math tutoring session, outside of the school.

Authorities were told Snyder had asked the students when they had first masturbated. The ages of these students were between 15 and 18. Snyder was employed by Bethany Christian Schools as the Assistant Theater Director for the high school and middle school until February of 2024.

On April 30, 2024, a Goshen Police Officer traveled to Snyder's current place of employment and spoke with the HR Manager.

The officer learned Snyder unexpectedly left about two hours before he arrived on scene.

A second officer arrived at Snyder house where he was arrested, and his phone was taken as evidence.

Snyder was taken to the Elkhart County Jail.